The History of Duel Monsters
by Steve-Otaku
Summary: A complete history to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Each chapter will cover one set. Up now- Legend of BEWD.
1. Default Chapter

1 Hello, all of you Yu-Gi-Oh! Fans...this story is going to be geared more to fans of the TCG. I intend to give a backstory to the entire card game, so that the world has a history. Each chapter will cover one set of the TCG...except this opening prologue.

I hope you enjoy it!

**:::The History of Duel Monsters:::**

**Prologue**

In the beginning, there was nothingness. A dark dimension where senses were bound, and there was no light. For eons, this realm stayed as it was...but it wasn't destined to last.

* * *

**Earth, 6000 years ago**

In our ancient Egypt, over 6000 years ago, Egyptian civilization as we now know it was only beginning to form. Their pharaoh, Menes, worked towards unifying Upper and Lower Egypt, and succeeded, creating a society of unrivaled power in the world. Even so, after this was done, he felt unsatisfied. Pharaoh Menes had grown restless...his kingdom didn't give him enough power; he was filled with a constant longing for more. He looked to the respect and obedience the people offered to the gods and coveted that kind of power for himself.

This Pharaoh kept taxing and conquering neighboring lands, demanding that he be given more power, but the his people, weary from the constant warring, could take it no longer. They expelled him from his kingdom and banished him to the desert sands.

Menes wandered the desert for over twenty years, going from oasis to oasis. His thirst for water was quenched, but his desire for absolute power drove him on. At last, at the foot of the statue of Osiris, he collapsed, and waited for the god of death to take him.

"Giving up so easily? It is no shock your dream went undone."

Menes looked up. The previously inanimate statue had turned into a living, breathing giant.

"It...can't be...you are..."

"Yes. I am Osiris, god of death."

"Then...you are here to take me...to the underworld."

"Normally, yes. But I have far grander plans for you."

"What are...you talking about?"

"I have a proposition for you. If you agree, you'll become more powerful than any human has ever dared to imagine. If you turn me down, then death awaits you."

Menes didn't respond, so Osiris continued.

"I'm willing to make you into a god, with your own universe to control. You'll gain all of my powers. All I ask in return is your aid when the time comes."

By this time, Menes was so weakened by thirst and hunger that he didn't care if there were drawbacks or not.

"Yes, my God...I will accept your offer. Please, give me your power."

Osiris snickered to himself.

'Foolish human...soon you will discover that coveting the powers of the gods will lead you to a far greater punishment than death could ever be.'

* * *

A great darkness then overtook the hot desert sun. Thunder and lightning echoed over the continent. Earthquakes began creating cracks in the pyramids. It was as if the earth itself was protesting the power.

Five bolts of lighting struck Menes simultaneously, hitting each of his arms, both legs, and his head. The light from the strikes were blinding, and it was not until the light faded that the changes could be seen. Instead of the peasant's rags he'd been in, a grand suit of golden pharaonic armor.

The rush of power was mind-shattering. In one short instant, he saw all of human history and human civilization, from the creation of the universe to the apocalypse. He now knew all of history.

"Such incredible power! Truly, I must be greater than all of the people in this world combined!"

"You are no longer the banished Pharaoh Menes; you are now a god- Exodia." proclaimed Osiris.

"Now, for the other part of the deal."

With a motion of Osiris's hand, a strange rift opened up in front of Exodia, exuding strange waves of dark light.

"This is the Shadow Realm. It is another dimension without any matter or any light. With your powers, you can sculpt and shape the universe to your smallest whim."

"Thank you, Osiris. What do you ask of me in return?"

"You needn't ask. I will come for you when the time is right."

With that, Exodia entered the rift and it closed behind him, leaving the Earth once again in peace. A thousand years passed, and the former Pharaoh Menes passed into history, and then into legend. No one knew what ever happened to him, but his workings would have dire consequences for future generations.

* * *

**Shadow Realm- Exodia's Arrival**

Exodia arrived in the Shadow Realm, and wasted no time in his actions. He knew that he needed matter in order to make anything else, so he created five different kinds.

Earth, to make up his planets.

Light, for the sun and stars.

Fire, to make his planet active and to provide heat.

Wind, to spread energy and life.

And finally, he created Water, so that his planet's creatures could survive.

This new planet was a marvelous one, with all types of varied terrain, but it still lacked one thing...life. Utilizing all of his power, Exodia immersed the planet in an incredible wave of energy. This energy manifested itself into all sorts of beings- men, animals, plants, and all sorts of supernatural beings. The remaining energy entered the planet itself, becoming Magic, the lifeblood of the planet. Magic was divided into two groups- proactive Magic that could be used normally, and reactive Magic usually referred to as Traps.

* * *

Exodia's power, unfortunately, proved to be his downfall. For his planet was literally a living one. The planet sensed the great destructive abilities and decided that it was too dangerous to let a being with that much power have dominion. It revolted against it's creator, sending a beam of power from each of the energies Exodia had endowed the planet with at each of his limbs and his head.

Water removed his right leg.

Fire removed his left leg.

Wind removed his right arm.

Earth removed his left arm.

Light overcame the head.

"What is this treachery?! My own creation would rise against me? Why am I being separated?!"

All of a sudden, a vision of Osiris appeared before him, speaking to him.

"Foolish human...when you gained my powers, you also gained my weaknesses. As you might recall, my body was destroyed by mere mortals when my limbs were removed from my torso. This destroyed my body, but my spirit stayed intact, along with my power."

"But...why aren't you stopping them?! I need help!"

"Haven't you figured it out yet? After you committed the grave sin of coveting your gods, I decided that a quick death was too good for you. I wanted you to suffer for all eternity, for your rage to consume your sanity; for when you become separated, you're doomed to an eternity of waiting in Purgatory...waiting for the day when your body is reunited. And on that day, your beloved creation will end. Goodbye, Exodia...I'll see you if you ever return."

As his body's final energies faded, Exodia couldn't help but laugh to himself.

"So it was all a lie...I'll make that planet pay for its error...for when I return...no one shall stand before me!"

From his body's remnants, dark energy seeped out over the planet. As his last act, Exodia had created one last kind of matter- Dark, to corrupt and torment the inhabitants of the planet. Each part of his body was hidden in different parts of the world, in the hopes that they'd never rejoin; for if they did, it would surely mean Armageddeon.

Centuries passed, and Exodia's role in the creation of the planet passed from legend into mere myth. It is at this time that our story begins.

**:::Next time: The Legend of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!:::**


	2. LOB, PT I

And now, for the next installment, PART I of the Legend of the Blue Eyes White Dragon!

:::::::::::::::::::::::

**1000 Years After Exodia's Sealing**

The world had undergone many changes after the end of Exodia.

When the planet was created, each power that Exodia granted to the planet had created its own continent. With six powers, including darkness, six continents were all separated by the Sea of Darkness.

Each of the continents was one of the places that had emitted a beam to disable Exodia, so long ago, and thus, the beings that lived on each of them were influenced by the residual energy of the continent.

Upon the continent of Light, the beings there became more angelic, some even attaining the powers of Fairies or the abilities of Thunder.

In the Wind continent, the creatures had gained the powers of flight, causing Dragons, Insects, and Winged Beasts to arise there.

In the molten land of Fire, Pyro, Dinosaur, and Reptile types flourished.

Water's swampy area was the home of Fish, Aqua, and Sea Serpents.

The continent of Darkness twisted the life-forms in its boundaries into Fiends and Zombies.

Earth's continent was the most varied of all, in the center of all the others. Men stayed the same on this continent, developing armies of Warriors and Machines. Some men turned to the magic arts, becoming Spellcasters. The natural life, like Beasts and Plants, stayed mostly the same.

The pieces of Exodia, now long forgotten, resided on 5 of the continents, the one that didn't have a piece being that of Darkness, as they could not be trusted when they had such evil hearts.

And as such, the world continued.

* * *

**3000 Years After Exodia's Sealing**

For reasons unknown to this day, the five continents that held a piece of Exodia became seismically active, and in a great Cataclysm joined together as one giant continent. Each of the lands still retained their energies, though, and the creatures that left their homelands for new areas of the continent were undeniably altered by their new surroundings.

The terrain of the planet was now different. The one great continent was a ring-shaped one that encircled the planet from north to south. To the west, there was nothingness in the unexplored endless sea. To the west, there was the Continent of Darkness contained within the Sea of Darkness.

Unknown to the inhabitants of the continent, the powers of Darkness were gaining ever more strength. The Dark Continent gained more land day by day, and its agents infected the other lands with the taint of evil.

* * *

**2000 Years after the Cataclysm**

Civilization finally seemed to have landed on it's feet. The continents had both separated into several kingdoms.

The inhabitants of the Sea were governed by _The Furious Sea King_, using his trident that contained the _Power of Kaishin_.

The creatures of the forest were led by the _Green Phantom King_, a simple plant sprite.

The beings of the Dark Continent were divided between _King Fog _and _Dark King of The Abyss_.

The central kingdom of men was overseen by the Ruler of the Blue Flame, aided by his loyal swordsman _Kagemusha_.

The rest of the planet seemed to simply be a system of natural order.

This is where our hero's story begins.

* * *

"Gaia, get up, you lazy dog!"

A young man of no more than eighteen got a rude awakening as he was doused with a bucket of icy water.

"You're not hurt, you landed on your back, not your head!"

An older man pulled Gaia up to his feet.

"You need to get better, and fast. The jousting tournament is in two days and you're still acting like a rookie!"

"Sorry, Dad. I'm just not great at keeping my balance on a rabid _Frenzied Panda_!"

The angry beast huffed at Gaia, then went back to eating his bamboo.

"I wish we could afford a horse, son, but this is the best we can do. You can just use one of the horses that the tournament is supplying."

"How am I supposed to practice when even the animal cops an attitude?!"

"We don't have many options! I'm too old to enter and we need this money...our family could finally afford to move out of this kingdom to somewhere with opportunities. We're doing this for you and your sister!"

Gaia promptly let the subject drop.

"Anyways, let's break for lunch. Maybe you'll perform better on a full stomach."

* * *

They had gone up to a hill about five miles away from the city to train for an upcoming jousting tourament. The hill was clear and flat to allow for easy training without any distractions from the markets. It was always such a boring little village. It was by no means as big or grand as he'd heard the Fortress of Blue Flame was, and he had always wanted a little more action. Bored and hungry, he decided to take a nap while lunch was being prepared.

The skies, previously blue, darkened with ominous clouds. Gaia's father took notice.

"Something's not right here...Gaia, wake up."

"Huh? I smell smoke...you didn't burn lunch, did you?!"

"No, Gaia, I haven't even gotten the fire up yet...and the skies have darkened....it's strange."

"Dad, I think we should get out of the forest...it looks like maybe there's a fire."

With that, they took their Panda and left the hilltop, heading out of the forest.

When they reached the forest's edge, they stopped dead in their tracks.

The city was a flaming inferno. The smoke from the fires was so severe that the sun itself had been blotted out.

Gaia jumped on the Panda and rode as fast as he could...his thoughts turned to his family.

Mom...Sis! I've got to get them out!

As he rode, he discovered the cause of the destruction.

A strange dragon, like nothing he'd ever seen, came diving from above the smoke. It was strafing the city, firing blasts, the likes of which no human had ever witnessed.

It was massive, at least fifty feet tall and over one hundred feet long. It's coloring was a luminous white, with massive wings and piercing blue eyes...Gaia had never even heard of such a creature.

He was only a mile away from his house when he sighted his mother and sister running out of the city. He immediately yelled for them.

"Mom, Sis!! Over here!!!"

His family heard his call, and began their run to him. Had only ten more seconds passed, and they would have been safe. But it was not to be.

The dragon's blast came over them, and in a flash of blinding light, no trace of the women were left.

Reality stopped then for Gaia. He no longer comprehended anything. He stopped dead in his tracks, motionless. He stayed like that for an hour, tears running down his cheeks silently.

**The Day After**

Revenge. Vengeance. Payback.

Many names for the same thing, but all had possessed Gaia. In the chaos of the cleanup, he claimed for himself the finest of the town's horses. He had one last talk with his devastated father.

"Dad. You know this is what I have to do."

"I know...I just wish that I could help. Wait...maybe I can."

His father walked over to the wreckage of their home and felt around on the floor. After a few seconds, he pulled up a trapdoor on the floor and pulled out something wrapped in cloth. He then proceeded to hand it to Gaia.

"This has been in our family for thousands of years. It's supposed to be able to empower any warrior to his limits. It's the _Legendary Sword_."

Gaia unwrapped the weapon from it's cloth holder and strapped it to his back.

"Thanks, Dad. I'll return someday."

His father told him to seek out a certain magician in the nearest town...it had been rumored that that man knew something about the wereabouts of the white dragon.

* * *

And so Gaia arrived in the nearby city which his father had spoken of the next day. He dismounted and asked a passerby.

"Excuse me, sir, but I've heard rumors of a powerful spellcaster that knows much about the dragon that attacked yesterday...by chance, do you know of him?"

"I think you're looking for the _Dark Magician_. He's a bit of a drifter, but he's staying in that cottage at the outskirts of town."

And so Gaia headed for the cottage and walked inside.

"I'm looking for the Dark Magician! I need to know where that dragon that destroyed our city is!"

A voice in the dark house answered.

"You shouldn't enter without knocking, boy. It isn't polite."

Gaia's body was suddenly surrounded by a strange purple light. He then was flung through the straw roof of the cottage and landed outside. The man who had been inside walked out into the light. He was a tall blonde man, wearing a strangle purplish suit and a pointy hood.

"Now, what was so important that you felt the need to burst into my home uninvited?"

Gaia, more than a bit irritated at this point, tried to contain his temper long enough to get some information.

"My city was destroyed by some strange white dragon yesterday! Hundreds are dead, and it's up to me to avenge my family!"

The dark mage stiffened at the mention of the dragon.

"Tell me, kid, did this dragon have eyes that were oddly colored?"

"Yeah, they were really blue. What does that have to do with anything?"

The magician sighed.

"It's as I feared then...the _Blue Eyes White Dragon_ has returned."

"What are you babbling about? I want to know about that thing that killed my mother and sister!"

"Come in, we've got much to discuss."

* * *

The Dark Magician spent the rest of the day teaching Gaia about the history of the world. Spellcasters were widely known for their excellent historical knowledge, and the Dark Magician was no exception. Gaia was shocked to learn that the old legends of Exodia were actually the truth.

The Blue Eyes White Dragon was one of the very earliest creatures on the planet. In the beginning, when Exodia had granted the planet with life-forms, dragons had been among them. But when the energy streams left the planet to seal Exodia, a creature had been used as an avatar to transfer the energy of the planet to a stream that could leave into space; the energy gave the creatures incredible powers of whatever attribute's stream they'd been used as an avatar for. The Blue Eyes White Dragon was one of these creatures, the avatar of Light's energy stream; it gave the dragon vast energy and power, as well as unnaturally long life.

The Dark Magician told how the avatars became so powerful that they, too, had to be locked away. This had been the duty of the Dark Magician's family.

"If it was your family's responsibility to make sure the Blue Eyes never returned, what happened? Why are my mother and sister dead?!"

"The Dark Continent has been gaining too much power during these last three thousand years. And when any attribute of this world becomes too powerful, the avatar of the opposite attribute awakens. The Blue Eyes is back because evil is starting to take a foothold on our continent. I couldn't do anything to stop it."

"Then tell me where it lives and I'll do it."

The Dark Magician pulled a _Book of Secret Arts_ out and handed it to Gaia.

"There's a map of the world in there. To get to the Blue Eyes, you must pass through two kingdoms: Celtia and Dracon. The Celtic land is mostly meadows and some forests, but Dracon is a dark land of dragons...the Blue Eyes White Dragon would undoubtedly go to be with it's breathren."

"Then that's where I'm going."

* * *

Gaia prepared to ride out of town, heading to the land of the Celts. Before he left, the Dark Magician gave him something wrapped in cloth.

"Keep that hidden and out of sight until you've found the Blue Eyes. It's an old relic, but it's as powerful as ever. While you're in Celtia, keep an eye out for an elf swordsman...he's a friend of mine."

"Thanks for your help, magician."

With that, Gaia left the Dark Magician and rode south to Celtia.

::::NEXT TIME, the conclusion of the Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon!:::


End file.
